Missing
by Winter's Realm
Summary: A mission goes wrong, so now it's a race against time to save the fallen… but only hope and courage will allow the team to succeed. NOT quite a death fic… for the race against time is not yet lost…
1. Bright

**Missing.**

**Summary:** A mission goes wrong, and it's a race against time to save the fallen… but only hope and courage will allow the team to succeed. Not quite a death fic… for the race against time is not yet lost…

No Character death.

**A/N:** Yes, this is the fic I published (and then deleted) a little while ago. I wasn't happy with the plot, or the first chapter. So I rewrote it- and this version is A LOT different- although key elements of the story will remain the same. **SO** Sorry for the wait **and** for suddenly deleting a new story! I'll do my best to not let it happen again!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Ninjago.

* * *

He should have seen it coming.

As the team's leader, it was his duty to watch out for his team mates and bring them back from every mission safe and sound- in mind, body and spirit.

The Earth was required to look after the other elements. Without the Earth, there was nothing. Lightening had to hit the ground to dispel its charge. Ice would not be able to form without the water which ran over the surface of the Earth. And, Fire also needed the Earth. It took its instruction from it. But when the Earth made a wrong call, the fuel which kept the flames burning disappeared and Fire fell.

Protect the team… the other elements…

Well, he'd certainly failed at _that_ duty.

_The bridge…_

Cole's eyes closed tightly and he shifted against the Bounty's railings, shaky hands gripping the hard surface forcefully; his own strength causing the wooden beam to creak. His eyes tightened further at the noise. It sounded too much like _wooden planks_ splintering.

_It sounded _too much_ like death…_

He opened his eyes again, looking up at the dusky sky. Clouds drifted through it aimlessly, and Cole couldn't help but feel some sort of empathy with their lost, dejected manner. He didn't know where he was going anymore, either.

That was the problem with being a strategist. When the plan falls apart, you have nothing left except the knowledge that you failed. There were no second chances when it came to life and death. So when you failed… you just become another empty cloud, gliding through the night sky while the thin air cooled.

(Too thin to support the fallen…_ falling_…)

The end of the day.

It was sickening to think that this day had begun with four… and ended with _three._

_Over._

(His responsibility)

_Fallen._

Cole slumped further against the railing (ignore the wood creaking_. Ignore it!_), dejection and denial making him feel uncharacteristically weak.

He hated feeling like this.

He should have done more, fought harder (- burned brighter; like Fire, or light reflecting off Ice, or Lightening dancing through the sky… bright. Earth was dull. The others were _so _bright…).

_Bright_ like that afternoon… when the sun's rays had been dancing off golden blades which spun and cut through wooden planks and metal pylons.

_The broken bridge…_

No-

(Bright like death)

- No!

He had to stop that... Stop _this_. That. This. _Whatever. _What was done was _done_.

Over.

Finished.

Final.

…. It was just that he'd give _anything_ to be able to go back and undo what had happened.

Mentally, Cole kicked himself. Here he was, staring at the setting sun, reflecting on the day's tragic events like some angsty teenager.

… _Justified_ in that he'd just lost his brother… AND all because of his inability as a leader!

Kai should be the leader now…

Angstangstangst-

Hell, he didn't give a damn about what he was like at the moment. An angsty teen? So be it. That worked for him. He couldn't bring himself to care much about fricking stereotypes right now.

_Emotional?_

Okay, the Earth was meant to be stable… but, yes. Justified.

_Depressed?_

Yes. Justified.

_Hurting?_

… well, he didn't _like_ to be weak, but _yes_. Again, justified.

Angstangstangstangst…

He _had _TO STOP!

He was a Ninja! He was _better_ than this!

Problem was, he didn't feel very much like a Ninja at the moment. Or much like a team leader. Or a Master of Earth, for that matter…

The Earth should support-

(It was the base. The foundation. Unity. Solidarity. Passion. Success. Friendship ).

Yet the element that needed Earth had _fallen._

_Angst-angst-angst-_

This wasn't helping! He needed to be planning, making sense of everything…

Oh, he felt so sick.

He just wanted to erase this.

_Erase_… oh, pleasepleaseplease…

_(Erase my mistake._

_My poor choice._

My fault?)

"Cole?"

Cole's hands clenched into fists as a hesitant voice glided across the deck. He didn't want to face anyone at the moment… he needed to think and reflect and move on.

Heh, move on.

Right…

Well, apparently, that was what was meant to happen… 'Five stages of grief' and all that.

Yeah, _right._

(But how could he heal from something like this?)

He wanted - haha, _sooo_ _cliché_...- to be _alone_.

"You okay?" the voice called again, and he recognised it as belonging to Jay. Yet it was no longer bubbly and cheerful (BRIGHT). Rather, faded; dim. Burdened.

Cole couldn't help but reflect that Jay's voice perfectly represented what _everyone_ on the ship was feeling.

The blue Ninja shuffled softly onto the deck, so Cole turned around. Despite the heavy feeling in his gut (_guilt_), he quickly assessed the Ninja in blue, checking that he was okay- the afternoon's events had affected them all. Jay's eyes were still red rimmed, as if irritated by salt water, but other than that, he looked to be physically fine.

...Fine.

It was a safe word.

"I'm fine," Cole replied.

It was a lie, and they _both_ knew it.

He didn't mind lying now… (Because the truth of what had happened was so_ painfulpainfulpainful_… the truth would never set _anything_ free…)

Lies were so much safer. He'd happily live in delusion and dream a different ending to this day… an ending not so tragic; so _wrong_.

Yet, he couldn't do that. Because he _still_ had a job to do. He still had a team to lead… well, _part_ of a team to lead…

(Hope and truth were delusionally destructive-)

Jay just nodded and moved over to slump against the railing next to him. "It's so …. _hard _to believe that he…" the normally bubbly Ninja trailed off, waving his hands helplessly in the darkening air as if gloom and despair weighed his words down, making him unable to breathe them out.

"I know," Cole nodded, not wanting Jay to say anymore.

Idon'twanttoremember…

"I just keep expecting him to walk around a corner, y'know?" Jay continued, and Cole resisted the urge to ask him to leave. Jay needed someone to be there and listen to him. Cole could do that.

_Team?_

_(No more)…_

_Team Leader…._

_He _must.

"I know,"

"He was so different from us at the start, but then he was like, truly part of us. And now he's gone… I'll miss him,"

"I know,"

"He was a lot like you,"

"I know,"

"Like different to you in some ways, but you two were so similar in other ways. You worked well together,"

"I know,"

"I'm gonna miss making jokes with him,"

"I know,"

"He was always so serious about training, but it was cool that he had a sense of humour in there as well. He was such a cool guy,"

"I know,"

Jay's shoulder's sagged as he sighed, realising that Cole wasn't in the mood for talking. "Sorry, Cole,"

"I kno- It's fine, Jay," Cole shook his head, causing strands of black hair to messily cover his eyes and block his vision. He didn't bother to brush them away. "Just- yeah," he waved one hand and Jay stood up, understanding what Cole couldn't say.

_Alone, please._

_Just let me think a way through this. Even if there is none._

"I'll be inside if you need me. Don't stay out too long, okay?" Jay asked, small oceans of concern and sadness swirling in his eyes. "I think it's going to rain tonight,"

_(Can't wash it all away...)_

"I won't." Cole muttered, turning his attention back to the blackened sky.

_If only…_

Kai should have been the leader- this never would have happened had _he_ been in charge. Kai always had a plan, but also could think on his feet and modify it when needed, as well. He was fast, intelligent, funny… sure, he had a bit of an ego... But he knew how to encourage others and get the best out of them.

Jay tended to panic too much when the pressure was on, and Zane… just had always been so mathematical and technical. A leader needed to be by the book (Zane was)… but sometimes, that meant _also_ being the author of the book… Zane wasn't 'loose' enough for such a role.

It _should_ be Kai.

Kai… _Oh_, Kai.

But-

It was just that-

Kai couldn't be the leader-

Cole still had to. He'd been chosen by Sensei…

And, and-

Kai couldn't- (Please_please_… don't even _think _about it)

Cole couldn't lead like this-

IcannotIcannotIcannotIcannot-

The knowledge that he was without-

The team member…

_(Falling.)_

_My brother_

Without-

_ItwasALLhisfault…_

Without-

_I'msosorry..._

Without-

(The BRIGHTNESS of the flames had broken-)

Without-

(Gold glinting in the sun _brightly_-)

Without-

Without-

Without-

…

_Kai._

_Without Kai._

…

Because Kai was _dead_.

* * *

**Angsty Cole is an interesting thing to write. He's still balanced, even when depressed- not 'moody' depressed, but genuinely grieving, of course. Argh, writing him like this is so unlike Kai in OaS!**

**I hope he came across as 'in character'!**

**Take care, lovely readers!**


	2. Delicate

**A/N: ** Wow, look, another update! Aren't I amazing? (Actually, I think this update had more to do with the lovely, very encouraging comments from my _OaS_ readers… Many thanks, guys! : ) ) Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

**On an important side note to my reviewers:** I've recently gotten Private Messaging (please, feel free to shoot me a line whenever you want! _Love_ to hear from ya!), but I still don't have a _clue _about 'Fan fiction etiquette'. Do you want me to reply to your reviews? Or would that just be annoying? If someone could give me some pointers, then I'm all ears and your advice would be much appreciated!

**Disclaimer:** Ninjago does not belong to me…

* * *

**-Destiny's Bounty:-**

Even after the sun had fallen (how fitting, he thought) and the sky had darkened, Cole still didn't go inside. Not when his stomach began to rumble; reminding him that the last time he'd eaten had been over eight hours ago. Not when a light drizzly rain began; making him close his eyes as the cold fragments of water clung to his eyelashes. Not when the temperature began to drop, making his skin turn pale and shiver violently. Those factors were external. Unimportant. They didn't _matter._

Because Cole _really_ didn't care.

Some sort of odd numbness had taken over every haunted part of him; as if he was no longer a person, but simply a reflection in a mirror- a _broken _reflection- watching himself breathe and think and move, but never truly _feeling_ it.

He released another bitter breath, watching as the white wisps swirled away into the night like delicate ghosts. The air had turned to ice; almost too harsh and burning and _suffocating_ to _breathe_. But the only thing he really noticed (and even then it more of a distant, echo-like observation) was that everything was so painless. Time and feeling had blurred into a faint, grey mess.

He felt numb.

As numb as glass covered in icy snow.

(So, so… _shatterable… but… agonising…_)

Distantly, he shifted position, shaking one leg which had gone to sleep before sagging heavily against the wooden railing again. He couldn't remember ever feeling like this. _So dead_. Pain pulsed around him in inky black waves, blocking him off from everything else, but he didn't touch it; he couldn't touch it.

_So dead._

_(Would this be how Kai felt?)_

Night had fallen, in both the sky and his mind…

The outside world was so very cold.

As cold as cold could be. As cold as _death_ could be.

…_Would Kai feel cold, then?_

…_Or would he feel nothing?_

_Nothing?_

_(Nothing)_

_(Nothing)_

_(Nothing...)_

Cole took another breath and leant further onto the railing, slowly sliding down until he was sitting on the soaking deck. Once more, the cold was unimportant; just another external factor that really didn't affect him.

In a motion that could almost be described as lazy (but, _pained_), he blinked his eyes open, wearily watching the raindrops as they hit the deck and shattered.

He didn't know rain could break.

He'd never thought Kai would break, either.

Well, Kai hadn't broken. The _bridge_ had.

Kai had died.

_Kai. Died. _

_Kai. Dead._

_Kai. Missing in action._

_Kai. Killed in action. _

_(Pleasepleaseplease Iwishyouhadn't…areyouokay...canyouhearme __**screaming**__ ...Kai? Please come back...Kai, please!)_

Unbidden, a sudden, tearful desire to scream out Kai's name and cryandcryand_cry_ until he could breathe no more rose in Cole's throat. He gripped the railing tightly, _swallowingchokingbreathing_ through the pain until it subsided into a series of tense, ragged gasps.

This was so _crippling_.

Head bowed, Cole closed his eyes again, but images of Kai running onto the bridge flashed through his memory like an uncontrolled wild fire, taunting him, _burning _him.

He could still see the Serpentine soldiers marching onto the bridge. The first of the scouts had already crossed the chasm, and he'd known that more would follow fast. So he'd ordered Kai and Jay to follow him down to the end of the bridge and hold off the first wave. But Kai had insisted on running onto the bridge, yelling something about 'facing them one at a time'.

Unfortunately, despite his friend's brave efforts, Kai's position had quickly become overrun. The red Ninja had ignored Cole and Jay's cries to stop and turn around. Instead, he'd raised his blade (which had been glinting so _brightly_, as if in farewell) and divided the bridge.

The Serpentine had fallen. But so had Kai.

Fallen.

_Fallen_.

Cole _shouldn't_ have let him run onto the bridge.

(All my fault...)

"You really need to come in, now,"

Despite the low drumming of raindrops, his thoughts were interrupted by a quiet feminine voice. One of his hands clenched into a tight fist. _Why couldn't they all just leave him alone? "_Go away, Nya," Cole muttered, his tone coming out stonier than he had intended it.

Kai's (_Kai… oh, Kai…_) little sister could be almost as stubborn as her brother. "You look cold," Yet despite her persistency, Nya's voice was as broken as he was, and Cole felt distantly guilty for dismissing her so abruptly.

But what else could he do?

He'd killed-

He'd killed her _brother._

_His best friend. _

"I'm fine," he muttered, firmly keeping his gaze on the drowning deck.

"Staying out here won't bring Ka- him..._ back_," Nya pressed. But she choked on the name, and it was obvious that her stubbornness lacked any actual willpower. Her voice was fragile and gentle and Cole suddenly realised that this sort of maternal caring was her own way of coping with the sudden loss. Just as he withdrew into himself, Nya reached out to others, looking to both give and receive support.

Grimly, he turned to face Jay's girlfriend, feeling guilty once again for being so short with her. Kai's sudden death had hit her hard. Her brown eyes were red rimmed and she looked slightly dizzy; as if she'd been crying so hard that her head was aching. Closer inspection revealed that she was swaying slightly too- visibly fighting to stay upright.

He'd lost a best friend. But she'd lost a _brother_. A brother she'd been incredibly, _incredibly _close with.

_("They took my sister! We have to go rescue her!")_

_("Yo sis, I think we're gonna need an evac…")_

_("Bro… if I ever… y'know… don't make it back… look after her, yeah? I know she's got Jay, but Jay can't be her _brother_…she'll need your friendship too. Can you do that for me please, Cole?")_

He owed it to Kai to look after her. With a sigh, Cole got up and followed her inside, leaving the deck to drown in the shattered water.

* * *

**-Unknown Location:-**

Personally, Kai decided that this screw up was Wu's fault. It couldn't be Cole's because Cole had (very_ loudly_) ordered him _not_ to run back onto the bridge. And it couldn't be Jay's fault because Jay had been busy drowning out Cole's orders with bellows of his own- although Kai had understood each of the two ninja perfectly because they had essentially been yelling the exact same thing.

_Get back here, you idiot._

Well, that was the child friendly version. Kai wasn't sure that he would want to repeat what they had _actually_ said. Even by his own standards, their language had been rather… colourful.

Anyway, to get on with his blame-list… he couldn't blame Nya because she'd been looking after Lloyd at the time. And Lloyd was innocent too because he'd been cornered by several of the serpentine scouts and in desperate need of a Samurai rescue. And Zane couldn't be brought into this either because the Nindroid hadn't been anywhere near the bridge when Kai had run out onto it.

So that left Sensei Wu.

_Yep._ This was all Wu's fault. He should have taught his student better than to show off and save the day by running onto a bridge crawling with Serpentine. And at the _very_ least, he should have made sure the student was aware that cutting the bridge in half would have disastrous consequences for everyone on the bridge.

Including the aforesaid student.

_Really,_ Wu needed to get his act together and start teaching some _quality_ stuff. Because there was absolutely, definitely _no possible_ way Kai could be blamed for this.

Yes, he'd been a _little_ too reckless.

Yes, he'd been slightly high- on adrenaline, that was!

Yes, he'd been playing the hero.

Yes, he'd been listening to his ego instead of common sense.

And as far as he was concerned, it was _completely_ Wu's fault.

Well, maybe not. But pinning blame on the experienced Master was definitely an amusing thought- providing Sensei Wu didn't find out about it.

In that case, things wouldn't be _quite_ so amusing.

"Thanks, Sensei," Kai muttered with a sardonic grin as he opened his eyes and examined his surroundings, ignoring the way his head throbbed with the movement. He was lying on a sandy bank next to a river, at the bottom of what appeared to be a deep abyss. The cliffs surrounding him looked steep and smooth; climbing them would be an issue.

Well, that wasn't too good.

The last thing he could recall was the bridge splintering under the blade of his sword and the air whistling past his ears as he plummeted to the river below. He sort of remembered hitting the water, but things got a little foggy after that.

"Like a night out on the town… only I missed out on the fun of getting drunk," Kai muttered, lips twisting into a faint smirk and he stood up. But a sudden, rippling pain shot through his body- grating on what felt like _every_ damn nerve ending- causing him to fall back to the ground.

Kai cursed. The words he selected were definitely around the same level of colour that Cole and Jay had used, but right now, political correctness could kiss his ass. Lloyd wasn't out here, so he could say what he wanted.

Gingerly, Kai dragged himself over to a nearby boulder and leant against it while trying to examine the source of the pain.

_Stupid Wu_.

His ankle was sprained, and there was a strong chance he'd broken his left arm. To make matters worse, Kai had no idea about _where the hell_ he was, because none of the surrounding landscape looked familiar.

* * *

**So, chapter two of Missing is complete! No, Kai didn't die! I couldn't kill him! XD**

******On an important side note to my reviewers:** I've recently gotten Private Messaging (please, feel free to shoot me a line whenever you want! _Love_ to hear from ya!), but I still don't have a _clue _about 'Fan fiction etiquette'. Do you want me to reply to your reviews? Or would that just be annoying? If someone could give me some pointers, then I'm all ears and your advice would be much appreciated!

**Now, I'm really sorry, but my school term is beginning to look incredibly crowded, and I have no idea when this is next gonna get updated. But the wait shouldn't be was bad as last time. I don't think it'll be any more than a month (fingers crossed!).**

**Anyway, thanks for reading!**


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